Football kicking aid



G. M. NORMAN ET AL 3,534,957

FOOTBALL KICKING AID Oct. 20, 1'9 70 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1968 S 7 a Z m i NNM 7 m; m w H MW a a, ATTORNEY-5' Oct. 20, 1970 e. M. NORMAN ET AL 3,534,957

FOOTBALL KICKING AID Filed May 2, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I N VEN TORS 620K627. A/OFMA/V W JAMLS' z, Amara/v United States Patent 3,534,957 FOOTBALL KICKING AID George M. Norman, 3308 Lakeshore Drive 33579, and James E. Houston, Rte. 4, Box 463 33578, both of Tallahassee, Fla.

Filed May 2, 1968, Ser. No. 725,996 Int. Cl. A63b 71/00 U.S. Cl. 273-55 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A strap applicable to the underside of the toe or heel of a shoe on a foot and about the ankle of a kicker of a football, such strap thus applied tending to maintain the toe of the shoe in a desired position for place kicking or punting. The strap has a flexible midportion with openings to selectively receive the cleats of either the toe or heel portion of the bottom of the shoe, and said strap has elastic end potrions extending from said midportion and of a length to be wrapped around the ankle to provide support therefor, but permitting flexibility with limited movement of the ankle sufiicient to allow walking and running.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention is an accessory of the type useful in instructing, as well as in the kicking of a football during a game.

Description of the prior art The prior art is best illustrated by Pat. 3,328,030.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is a strap adapted to be used by the kicker of a football with the midportion of the strap applied to the bottom of the shoe and with the end portions wrapped about the ankle to maintain the foot in a definite position relative to the leg for kicking a football but allowing sufficient flexibility of movement to permit walking and running of the user with the strap applied.

It is an object of the invention to provide a football kicking aid in the form of a strap of a length sufiicient to have its midportion selectively applied beneath the toe or heel of a football shoe on the foot and with the end portions wrapped about the lower portion of the leg and ankle of the wearer under tension, the strap being elastic and flexible to permit a firm tensioned wrapping and with a complementary interlocking hook pile fabric which can be readily fastened together or separated, whereby the device may be employed for maintaining the foot in the most favorable position for accomplishing the desired kicking effect.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the inexpensive character indicated which can be easily and quickly applied and removed and which not only will maintain the foot in a substantially rigid position with the toe either retracted or extended, but will allow the user the necessary normal movement for walking and running in order not to interfere before, during and after kicking of a football.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the external surface of the device;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the opposite surface with the ends reversed;

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FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of the device applied to the bottom of the shoe for place kicking;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustrating the strap being applied about the ankle;

FIG. 5 is a perspective of the opposite side of the shoe of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the end of the strap ready to be applied.

FIG. 7 is a perspective of the foot with the device fully applied ready for kicking;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation illustrating the contour of the foot with the strap applied and resisting the bending of the foot;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the foot with the device applied and as the foot comes in contact with a football during the kicking and with the follow through shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view illustrating the use of the device applied to the heel instead of to the toe;

FIG. 11 is a perspective illustrating the manner of application of the device to the heel;

FIG. 12 is a perspective illustrating the manner of applrfiition with one of the straps being applied around the an e;

FIG. 13 is a perspective illustrating the other strap bemg applied in the opposite direction about the ankle;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation illustrating the position of the foot held by the strap of FIGS. 10 to 14 with the bendillustrated in broken lines;

FIG. 15 is a perspective illustrating the punting of a football; and

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary modified form of a football kicking aid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With continued reference to the drawings, the football k1cking aid of the present invention is comprised of a strap having a relatively narrow midportion 10 with elongated openings 11 to allow the differently spaced cleats of the toe or heel of a football shoe to extend therethrough. The midportion 10 has wider portions 12 for the attachment by stitching 12 or otherwise of elastic end portions 13 and 14 of the strap and of a length that when the device is applied these end portions 13 and 14 may be wrapped around the ankle of the wearer from opposite directions. Slightly spaced from the midportion are independent parallel strips of hook pile fabric 15 and 16 for cooperation with complementary or mating hook pile fastening strips 17 and 18, respectively. The strips 15 limit longitudinal stretching, while the strips 16 do not interfere with longitudinal stretching of the end portions of the strap.

In the use of the device the midportion 10 is applied to the bottom or sole of a football shoe 19 over the cleats 20 thereof. Then the elastic end portions 13 and 14 are stretched and the end portion 13 is wrapped over the instep and around the ankle and the hook pile fastening strips 17 are caused to overlie and engage with the complimentary or mating fastening strips 15, This arrangement will locate the forward portion of the foot including the toe in the proper retracted position for place kicking. In order to more securely fasten or lock to parts in the position described, the end portion 14 of the strap is next wound over the instead in the opposite direction around the opposite side of the ankle from the first and the hook pile strips 18 are engaged with the complementary or mating fastening strips 16. As thus applied the elastic end portions 13 and 14 of the strap will be stretched to exert a tension causing the forward portion of the foot including the toe to be maintained bent toward the forward portion of the leg. However, due to the elasticity of the end portions of the strap, the foot can still be flexed to allow walking and running while still maintaining the proper position for place kicking, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

In order to secure the toe in proper position for punting, the midportion 10 is applied under the heel 21 so that the openings 11 permit the heel cleats 22 to extend therethrough. Pressure is applied to each of the elastic end portions 13 and 14 to cause the heel to be brought toward the back of the leg while the tie is extended or moved in the opposite direction. Thereafter the end portions 13 and 14 are wound in opposite directions over the instep and around the ankle and fastened as previously described, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 14. However, the ankle can be flexed, as illustrated by dotted lines in FIG. 14. In the actual kicking the leg and foot are in proper relation for the best punting of the football, as illustrated in FIG. 15.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the football kicking aid of the present invention is inexpensive, simple, and easy to apply in order to perform the desired kicking action with such device easily carried, applied and removed and when applied will allow the use of the same in the manner desired while at the same time permitting the normal use of the foot in walking and running.

If preferred, instead of the strap having a relatively narrow portion 10, a flexible preferably non-stretchable center portion 23 may be employed having narrow openings 24 for cleats 20 and 22 and a third opening 25 for the forward toe cleat 6. The elastic end portions 13 and 14 of the strap are identical.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the described embodiments of the invention Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A football kicking aid comprising a flat enlongated body having a mid-portion of a size and configuration to be placed across and beneath the sole of a football shoe while it is on the foot of a kicker of a football, the midportion of said flat elongated body having at least one cleat receiving opening of a character to allow the midportion to engage the sole of the shoe to retain the same against horizontal movement beneath the sole of the shoe while the end portions of said flat elongated body are tightly Wrapped around the ankle of the wearer in a manner to fasten the shoe and ankle yieldably in substantially fixed relation but permitting restricted movement during walking and running, said flat elongated body being sufliciently elastic to exert pressure between itself and the ankle of the wearer when the kicking aid is in place, and cooperative mating quick attaching and detaching elements on the end portions of said flat elongated body.

2. The football kicking aid as set forth in claim 1 in which the mid-portion is provided with multiple spaced cleat receiivng openings.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the mid-portion of the body is a flexible leather-like character and the end portions are of elastic fabric.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said body is a strap having the mid-portion flexible and the end portions elastic and with the fastening elements arranged relative to the body in a manner to restrict longitudinal stretching of one end portion of the body.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which said fastening elements include elongated portions disposed along the body in a manner to restrict longitudinal stretching of end portion of the body-more than that of the other end portion of the body.

6. The structure of claim 1 in which said cooperative fastening elements are of the hook pile type.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,595,087 8/1926 Gibson 128-166.5 X 1,718,931 6/1929 Cohn 128166 3,407,811 10/1968 Stubbs 128166 3,442,270 5/1969 Steinrnan l28l57 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner T. BROWN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 128166 

